The San Francisco Police Commission is scheduled on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to consider the first full set of rules for the San Francisco Police Department's fast-growing drone program. The commission put off a vote on Sept. 2 after civil liberties groups and the San Francisco Public Defender's Office objected. Critics say the revised version still leaves the biggest problem unsolved.
What the revised policy says
The proposal is Department General Order 10.12, "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations." According to DroneXL's review of the amended draft posted for Wednesday, it would let SFPD fly drones for "a public safety response," to help with an active criminal investigation, or for training. Drone pilots could clear a call for service without an officer on scene.
The draft bans "general surveillance," defined as sweeping, non-targeted observation with no stated purpose. Operators would need a warrant, or a recognized exception, before intentionally focusing a drone on the inside of a home or an enclosed yard that cannot be seen from the ground in public. Public footage with no link to an investigation could be kept for 30 days unless a captain or higher approves a longer period for an open case. Footage with evidence value would be kept for at least two years, and the program manager could share drone footage with "public safety partners."
The fight over one undefined phrase
The draft defines "general surveillance" and "Drone as First Responder" but not "public safety response," the broadest reason it gives for launching a drone. In a Sept. 28 post, the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that without a definition, drones "could be deployed to every call for service," collecting data that is then stored for 30 days. EFF said a follow-up letter from the Public Defender's Office criticizing the revised policy was signed by more than 40 organizations.
When the commission delayed the September vote, The San Francisco Standard reported, Commissioner Kevin Benedicto said the commission must "strike the right balance between adopting effective new technologies to improve public safety and ensuring privacy and safeguards are in place." Asja Steeves, SFPD's policy development director, proposed changes at that meeting, including the ban on "sweeping non-planned observation without stated purpose."
How big the program has become
San Francisco voters approved Proposition E in March 2024, which authorized drone use in vehicle pursuits and active criminal investigations and, according to EFF, removed drones from the city's 2019 surveillance technology review rules. EFF counts roughly 350 SFPD drone deployments in 2024 and more than 3,500 in the first five months of 2026.
Supporters point to results. DroneXL, citing Fast Company, reported that SFPD figures show its drones responded to 4,000 incidents between March 2024 and Aug. 4, 2026, assisting in more than 1,550 cases and more than 655 arrests. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who puts the fleet at nearly 100 drones, backs the program and argues a drone sees only what is already visible in public.
Critics point to the department's data record. The Standard reported that outside agencies searched SFPD's Flock license plate reader data nearly 2 million times last year, and that live SFPD drone feeds were found exposed online this summer. Flock, which also sells police drones, recently announced staff cuts (our earlier report).
What to watch Wednesday
The commission can adopt the policy, amend it or delay again. Residents can follow the item and find meeting materials and public comment details on the Police Commission's page at SF.gov. SFPD drones also helped in a recent Bay Bridge kayaker rescue. Bay Area Brief will report the outcome.